NHTSA Complaint #10216805 — 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA

PURCHASED A USED 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA IN 2006, WHICH HAD [UNKNOWN TO ME] A TOYOTA EXTENDED WARRANTY IN FORCE. ABOUT ONE YEAR LATER, AT APPROXIMATELY 67,000 MILES, THE ENGINE DEVELOPED A "ROD KNOCK" AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, BY ATKINSON TOYOTA IN BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION TEXAS. COST $6000. THE DEALER COULD NOT FILE FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR US SINCE WE WERE UNAWARE OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND SO DID NOT FILE FOR TRANSFER. MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT THE TIME, AND REPORTED SIMPLY THAT THE LOW OIL INDICATOR CAME ON AND THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING. THE VEHICLE HAS NO WARNING INDICATORS REGARDING OIL LEVEL OR LIFE [AS DOES GM AND OTHERS], SO THAT THE 'WORD ON THE STREET' IS THAT IF THE OIL INDICATOR COMES ON, YOUR ENGINE IS ALREADY RUINED. MY SON AND I CHANGED THE OIL IN THE VEHICLE, AND IT HAD ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ABOUT 4,000 MILES SINCE THE PREVIOUS OIL CHANGE. *TR